Inclusive environments: people, place and play

Introduction

Week 1 considered what can affect our learning, how we can prepare ourselves for learning and we also looked at some of the language associated with additional support needs (ASN). This week looks in more detail at how to develop inclusive practice so that children with ASN can be full and active participants in early years settings.

Scotland is committed to giving as much opportunity to every child to ensure they reach their potential. Practitioners in early years settings have a responsibility to ensure that the setting is inclusive for all children.

But what do we mean by the term ‘inclusive environment’? Some children may have no apparent barrier to accessing all the experiences that nursery has to offer but something may be causing them to feel left out. There may be something or someone that is creating a barrier to them being able to join in – exploring these issues is the focus of this week’s session.

Figure 2.1  Parent and child accessing building

The content of Week 2 links to module learning outcomes (LO) 2 and 3:

• LO2  Understand the value of inclusive practice, including the importance of celebrating the strengths and opportunities that children who need additional support bring to a setting.
• LO3  Explain the need for all staff to take responsibility to support children who need additional support (not just those with specialist training).

By the end of Week 2 you will be able to:

• understand the difference between access and inclusion
• understand how unconscious bias might affect what we say and do
• take an inclusive approach to planning food
• know what is important in ensuring children gain equal access to outdoor play experiences and the role of the adult in supporting inclusive play.

Continue to 2.1  The difference between ‘access’ and ‘inclusion’.

2.1  The difference between ‘access’ and ‘inclusion’

Inclusion can frequently trigger thoughts and images of children with physical disability. Some children will arrive at an ELC setting with physical access requirements. The journalist Frances Ryan (2018) commented ‘it isn’t my use of a wheelchair that makes my life disabled, it’s the fact not all buildings have a ramp’. This comment links to the medical model of disability discussed in Week 1, meaning that it is the presence of barriers such as access to buildings that can disable people who have mobility difficulties.

Clearly, it is vitally important that a child who uses a wheelchair can access all parts of the building and this may require adaptations to be made. However, gaining access is one thing; but what about feeling included in a setting?

   Interview: working with children with disabilities

Edinburgh-based playworker and artist Max Alexander writes a blog ‘Play Radical’ where he reflects on his experience of working with children and young people who are disabled and/or need additional support for learning.

Here he reflects on the different meanings of inclusion and access, and how he interprets them on a day-to-day basis in his work with diverse groups of children.

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Transcript: Video 2.1  Max Alexander talks about access and inclusion

MAX ALEXANDER:

So I find it really useful to think about inclusion and access as two different things. There is a lot of crossover. You need both for a space or for something to be truly inclusive.

So inclusion, for me, is about a lot of the ideas and values behind the access. So inclusion simply, is about valuing every individual for exactly who they are so not for who they could be, who you feel they should be, but for who they are in that moment. And that's a very core values thing.

You have your inclusion, which is your values-based ideology, I guess. And then access is about how you put that into action. So access is about all the practical steps you make to make sure that inclusion is happening so every individual is feeling valued and is able to access spaces, and culture, and education, and all these things.

So access can be very practical. Things like ramps and lifts are probably the easiest thing, but also handrails, clear signage, different ways of communicating in a space. But then you also have things like social barriers, social access. So when there's the social norms and expectations of a space, it can actually make it really inaccessible if those social norms are based on just neurotypical or non-disabled expectations. I feel you need them both to create an actually inclusive, accessible space for people.

Often, when these things are going wrong, it's because you've got one and not the other. For example, you might have all the right mobility access for, say, a child who is a wheelchair-user to get into a space. But if, when they get there, they don't feel welcome or included, then they're not accessing the space truly. You've got the access bit, but you haven't thought enough about the culture and the values behind that.

Actually, often, when talking about inclusion, I talk about it being quite a dynamic process. It's not something that you do, and get right, and move on from. It's always happening. You're always having to think about it. Things are going to be changing, and that's because you have to allow for uncertainty and not knowing. And those things always going to be there.

I often talk about letting people be complicated. And that has to be reflected in yourself, as well, in letting yourself be complicated, and not necessarily knowing the answers, and having these biases and influences. So I guess I'm very aware that, despite knowing intellectually or having these more nuanced understandings of disability, especially around disability not being an inherently bad thing. Despite being intellectually aware of all those things, there's still that background of all my understandings, and experiences, and interactions of people that will influence how I react to things and how I understand things sometimes where maybe my initial instinct isn't actually the instinct that I would have chosen.

Yeah, there's a side about it which is about being compassionate to yourself and allowing yourself to be human and be complicated. But also, I think acknowledging that we all have a responsibility, at the same time, to try and understand our biases and the reasons behind our reactions that might be more negative or not that inclusive or understanding of people.

End transcript: Video 2.1  Max Alexander talks about access and inclusion

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Video 2.1  Max Alexander talks about access and inclusion

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Activity 2.1  Exploring idea of inclusion and access

Timing: Allow 10 minutes

Listen to more of Max’s reflections on disability.

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Transcript: Video 2.2  Max Alexander’s reflections on disability

MAX ALEXANDER:

So when I think about what's influenced my idea of disability, I guess I'd initially think back to growing up and becoming aware of disability in the first place, and what that means, and it being something that I wasn't meant to talk about, [LAUGHS] as being something that adults were reluctant to talk about to me, which is something I think about a lot now when, as an adult, working with children and talking about disability and different needs.

There's definitely some clear narratives around disability. And whenever you have clear narratives around something, it means you're not fully seeing people, because you're speaking out of narratives. So definitely something around just sadness and loss is definitely probably the main thing I was aware of. And then there's the flip side of the inspirational narrative as well which, although maybe comes from a better place, I think is just as dehumanising as any other narrative because it's still not letting the person be complicated.

So now, as an adult although there's no real clear distinction between those ideas growing up and now, there's not been a massive change it's about experience and thinking and deconstructing these things yourself. I think getting into my area of work, and in my personal life having friends with different needs and different disabilities, and also receiving an autism diagnosis myself, all those things have meant a lot of unpicking and unlearning and thinking through where these ideas come from and how they still impact my thinking today.

End transcript: Video 2.2  Max Alexander’s reflections on disability

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Video 2.2  Max Alexander’s reflections on disability

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Compare Max’s explanation with your own experience. What do you think has influenced your understanding of disability and inclusion?

Discussion

Max describes how he has been conditioned to think about disability through our everyday culture. This is likely to be through school experiences, family expectations, media representations of disability and the everyday experience of being or not being in contact with individuals with disability.

Max describes unconscious bias. We may hold a considered opinion gained through reflection and learning but sometimes our brains make quick judgements about people and pay more attention to how we may have been conditioned to think over time rather than our conscious, considered opinion.

The more we are aware of our potential for prejudice or bias, the more we can be sure that we don’t act on it.

This section has explored the difference between ‘access’ and ‘inclusion’ in relation to disability. However, as discussed in Week 1, inclusion is not just about disabled children. The next section explores inclusion in broader terms.

2.2  Unique individuals in a shared community

An early years setting is a community of children and adults sharing their environment and resources in the same space. You need to ensure that everyday activities that are part of being in a community, such as eating together, meet the unique needs of all children and that they feel included.

Consider the following activity, which shows how accommodating additional needs regarding food and eating can become part of everyday practice.

Figure 2.2  Children eating together

The next section looks at play and looks at ways that you can make play as inclusive as possible for all children in your setting.

2.3  Inclusive play

This section looks at how you can make play as inclusive as possible for all children by using ‘cues and mirroring’ in your practice to build relationships.

Building relationships

The previous party case study illustrates how knowledge and understanding of individual children needs to influence everyday practice. We can only build this knowledge if we develop positive relationships with children and their families where we tune into their experience of the world.

We can do this in different ways. We can talk to children and their families, we can observe children’s interactions and play, and we might join children in their play, but it is important to bear in mind that not all children will want an adult to be involved in their play.

Figure 2.3  Play cue for peek-a-boo

Play cues and mirroring

Children can invite others to join in play by giving cues or mirroring actions. This is a hint or invitation to join in and play, and it might be verbal or physical. Physical cues can include children using facial expressions, eye movements or gazing at an adult and waiting for a response. The cues can sometimes be very subtle. It is important to be aware that not all children will give play cues in this way. For example, children with autistic spectrum disorder may not want to play with others but it is still important to try and engage with them.

Joining children in play might be something adults choose to do in response to a child’s play cue. Responding to a play cue – such as joining in with a game of peek-a-boo that a child has started – is a way of building a trusting relationship.

When you respond to a child’s play cue as an adult, you are making it clear that they are leading the play.

Examples of play cues include:

• a tap on the shoulder and running away laughing
• making a funny face at someone
• hiding and peeking out (peek-a-boo)
• throwing a ball to someone
• moving closer to someone with things to play with
• allocating roles, e.g. ‘you can be the dragon’
• making space in a group for someone else to join.

(Adapted from Casey and Roberston, 2019. You may wish to look at the Loose Parts Toolkit – see the link in Figure 2.4’s caption for more information.)

Figure 2.4  Loose Parts Play Toolkit

Children have different ways of communicating through play. Tuning in to each other’s different play cues and responding appropriately can be challenging for some children. Children with a disability or with limited verbal communication might find it more difficult to interpret or initiate play with others. Adults can support children to notice different play cues and find appropriate ways to respond.

Extension activity

If you would like to see an example of how a dancer and the children play and dance together, partly through mirroring (copying) each other’s movement, please see the extension activity at the end of this session.

Playing outside

Access to outdoor play and learning experiences is vital for all children. It is important to consider whether your setting is ensuring that everyone can go outside to play and be outside in all weather conditions.

Figure 2.5  Just climbing a tree

Not everyone enjoys the wind and rain. If an adult is providing one-to-one support for a child, it is important that they are prepared to respond to the child’s preferences – especially if this means being outside in all weathers.

Activity 2.3  Tuning in to the unique child

Timing: Allow 15 minutes

In this audio you will hear a parent and key worker talking about Eilidh, who loved being outdoors and spent a lot of her time at nursery playing outside. While you listen, think about how Eilidh’s family and nursery made it possible for Eilidh to enjoy being outside.

Listen to Liz and Pamela and note down the key influences on Eilidh playing outside.

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Transcript: Audio 2.1  Liz and Pamela on Eilidh’s outside play

EILIDH'S MUM:

I think I noticed her love of the outdoors so early on. I think she must've been about three weeks old. And we were in the papoose up Arthur's Seat. Not right to the top, but we were up in the hills with Archie, playing.

And I had gone out because I was frazzled with just baby crying. And she just slept and was calm the whole time. And I was like, right. I've got to get her out. This is what it is. This is what she likes. And that was easy because Archie loved to be out.

CAREGIVER:

He loved it.

EILIDH'S MUM:

He loved being out. And one of the reasons why, we chose the Cowgate for him, was so that he could get out to play. So yeah, it just seemed that that was a comfortable place for the three of us to be. And obviously then Walter at weekends, the four of us as a family, just to be outdoors.

CAREGIVER:

And I think because it was part of our ethos to be outside all day, regardless of what the weather was going to be like, helped, especially Archie at the beginning when he first started.

EILIDH'S MUM:

Oh yeah, he loved that getting his waterproofs on, and off he went. The more different the weather, the more she seemed to enjoy it. So she loved the wind. The rain, if there was damp in the air.

CAREGIVER:

As long as you didn't put her hood up.

EILIDH'S MUM:

Yes, of course.

CAREGIVER:

Did not like that.

EILIDH'S MUM:

She did not like that. And she was just so good at telling you. Like, oh, no, no, no. Yep, I'll full all of this. Waterproofs, whatever – you can wrap me up like a kipper. But you will not put anything on my head at all.

CAREGIVER:

I think at first when she first started, getting her out for us was a wee bit of a challenge, to be fair, because of the access. Could only get so far. But we soon found that if there was two of us there, like having the one-to-one with Eilidh was a big help because that was easy for us to see, right, we need help.

And then Sarah and I would go and get her out of the buggy. And she would play in the she would sit in the sand, the same as other children, or the swing. She loved to swing. And as long as she was there, and there was other children there, then even if she was just sitting, watching, it was just enough to be easier for her.

EILIDH'S MUM:

Well, she would have taken so much from just being outside that we take for granted, the feel of the air, the noises, and actually how in her echo chamber, all those different sounds would have been for her processing being so different. We just can't yeah, we can't comprehend really what it was that made it so different for her. But the whole thing was an experience, just being out.

CAREGIVER:

Yeah. We were able to take her further out outdoors as well when we took her to Dunbar Coast. And she was lying on grass. And she was rolling about. We had the parachute above her.

And she was watching the clouds. And just watching her and knowing her, you could see just by that that don't take me away. I'm in my element. Just leave me.

And all the children are running around. They were chatting to her. And she's just sitting there. And we had her standing up. Sarah and I helped her stand up. And she was like just amazement. She just loved it.

EILIDH'S MUM:

But always you asked questions. You and Sarah always talk, and asking me. So you were getting to know Eilidh, and then you would check out stuff with me – so even that communication.

And that then built our relationship because at no point ever did I never not trust you. And if you said, oh, you were taking her off to climb Mount Everest, I probably would have let her go. Because I was just like, oh, yeah, that's what they're doing, OK.

But yeah, and that because you were so interested in her. And you observed. And then we communicated about your observations. That then helped build our relationship as a parent and a practitioner.

And that relationship that, as a parent, we'd had with the OT, that she knew Eilidh and knew what we wanted. And she came out to the nursery and had to look about, and was then able to make the assessment, OK, this is the piece of equipment. I think that this is right.

And I think that getting the equipment right was key because the chair and we were lucky that that first chair worked. But I'm sure if that chair hadn't worked, we could have went back and said, actually, I think we need a different chair.

CAREGIVER:

It did get us outside. And that was good to a degree at first. But then once we redid the garden, and we were able to put ramps in in certain places – lower things so that Eilidh could get into the house and get into underneath the slide structure, that was good because she loved being in there, having little cups of tea with…

EILIDH'S MUM:

And the other kids.

CAREGIVER:

…with Annika and Esme and a few other little ones that were really friendly with her. And I think just being able to do that was such a big difference for her.

EILIDH'S MUM:

Well, was that all a little adventure…

CAREGIVER:

No, so it was further down the garden. You're not just stuck into the one little bit and the swing. You were able to get right down to the bottom of the garden, get in and out and roundabout and up and down. She liked that, going up and down.

EILIDH'S MUM:

And obviously, Eilidh's behaviour changed when she was outside. But the other children noticed these behaviour changes when they were outside, even like the tone of their voice or how they did. And that would have been such a like, on a sensory level, would have been really exciting for her as well. And the boys that were there would use their indoor voices, and then use their outdoor voices. And she'd be wanting, I'm sure.

CAREGIVER:

She was just right in amongst it. She just wanted to be there where they were, regardless of who was out. If there was someone on the swing, she wanted to go and watch.

End transcript: Audio 2.1  Liz and Pamela on Eilidh’s outside play

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Audio 2.1  Liz and Pamela on Eilidh’s outside play

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Figure 2.6  Eilidh playing on the grass

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Discussion

Some influences that Liz and Pamela mention are:

• Eilidh loved being with other children and wanted to be where they were, which was often outside.

• A confident, outdoor-loving family with an older sibling who loved being outdoors.

• A staff team who enjoyed spending time outdoors and valued it for children.

• Availability of staff and one-to-one support.

• A space and resources that were physically accessible.

2.4  Play conflict and the role of the adult

Sometimes our different ideas about play and our different ways of communicating with each other can bring children (and adults) into conflict. The final activity in this section encourages you to think about the role of the adult in supporting children’s relationships and interactions.

Activity 2.4  Accessibility and play

Timing: Allow 10 minutes

Play conflict scenario

ELC practitioner Ania has created an accessible space for playing with play dough.

A table is available where children can sit or stand to use the dough. The dough, made by the children with Ania’s help, has been coloured green to create a colour contrast with the beige working table. Rosewater has been added to add an interesting smell. Ania has placed a selection of rolling and cutting tools on the table, along with small items such as shells, string and twigs and pinecones.

Figure 2.7  Extra items to use with the play dough

Ahmed and Sammie are playing with all the dough and building what looks like a nest. Nina approaches the table. Nina takes some shells and twigs out of the basket and arranges them. Every now and then Nina stares at the children with the play dough. Suddenly Nina snatches some of the dough away from the two children playing together and throws it on the floor. Ania intervenes and tells the third child that they are not allowed to snatch and asks them to play elsewhere.

Ania has taken time to think about the accessibility of this play resource. It is multi-sensory and offers open-ended play; the resources she has included indicate that play dough does not need to be rolled and cut in imitation of cooking. However, within a few minutes a child has been excluded from using the space. How could Ania ensure a more inclusive experience?

Make a few notes on Ania’s role in:

• observing how the space is used
• supporting conflict resolution
• helping children to pursue their play needs.

What would you do differently?

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Discussion

The play dough is a limited resource that needs to be shared and looked after. Children may need to be supported in how they make use of it. This is not about enforcing ‘play dough rules’, but about discussing how to share and care for the play resource together. Sometimes our attachment to a resource might mean emotions run high – for adults too. It can help to remind ourselves, as well as children, to take a moment to think before we speak or act.

Some practical tips that Ania might consider doing:

• Talk to the children about how it might be fair to leave some play dough unused so other friends could join in.
• Observe interactions at the table. The two children playing together did not interpret the third child staring at them as a request for play dough or to join in the play. This might be a subtle play cue. Adults can give words to a child who is not vocal. You might say: ‘I can see that you are looking at the play dough. Would you like to play with it?’ You can then model a way of asking to play: ‘You could ask Ahmed and Sammie to share some with you. Ahmed, Sammie, can you see that Nina would like to play?’
• Be ready to support the children. Perhaps Nina is often impulsive or physical in her response to situations? Perhaps Nina is not able to express herself clearly using words or gestures, and becomes frustrated? Ania could welcome Nina and talk to her about the play dough and discuss what the other children are doing.
• Help the children to get back to their play. If Ania missed these earlier opportunities to intervene she could explain that it is not OK to snatch the play dough and could model how to ask to share or how to use the play dough in this space. That way a child is not excluded from play because they lacked support to gain access to the play.
• Be curious about Nina’s play needs. What is Nina communicating with her actions? Ania needs to find out what is most important to Nina. Is it finding a way to play with others? Is it gaining adult attention? Is it a need for whole body physical play that is met by throwing the play dough? This is not easy to answer from a single observation but is the kind of understanding that can be built up over time.

While Ania might find a way to ensure this play resource is inclusive, it is important to consider it in context of the whole nursery. Play dough is an indoor activity, often at a table. It can involve whole body movements as well as fine motor skills. Compare it to an activity like playing with mud outside. Does the nursery environment welcome large body movements and messy engagement with materials? Perhaps this is what Nina is looking for?

You may have wondered why this scenario did not state whether any of the children have ASN. This type of interaction is quite common for children of any age and stage, and may result from a range of reasons. You may not always have the knowledge and understanding of a child’s background or disability, but because you need to support each unique child you need to be prepared to observe, learn and intervene sensitively.

Summary

In Week 2 you have explored the value of inclusion in relation to access, food and play, as well as identifying some practical examples of how you can include children with additional needs. You have also looked at some examples of how to make play indoors and outdoors as inclusive as you can for all children.

Extension activity

Extension activity – Starcatchers

Timing: Allow 15 minutes

This film is part of a project by Starcatchers, a Scottish arts and early years organisation.

Watch how a dance artist and a young child with autism become physically in tune through moving together. In this example, the adult tunes in to the child’s body movements and finds news ways to be in communication.

They play together through mirroring movement. The ELC practitioners discuss the impact of this type of physical play on children’s wellbeing.

The film documents part of a project called ‘Moving Matters’, which takes place in an integrated specialist service for children aged two to five. It has a range of playrooms including one for children with additional needs. It has an integrated playroom and offers the opportunity for children to integrate throughout the day.

Watch from 1 minute 48 seconds onwards. (Hold the ‘Ctrl’ key and click the left mouse button to open in a new window.)

• https://vimeo.com/ 191167833

Video 2.3  Starcatchers – playing together (4 minutes 54 seconds)

Did you notice any other mirroring in the film?

Have you mirrored a child’s gesture or movement in play? Perhaps you have responded to a play cue by copying a funny face or a dance move, or by playing peek-a-boo with a baby or toddler?

Have you noticed children mirroring each other in their play?

Make a note of situations where you have played with a child by mirroring their actions. Doing this is especially helpful for non-verbal children and this is a useful way to attract their attention.

What impact did this have on your relationship?

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Discussion

Being able to understand children’s different play cues means that you can support children to understand and value each other’s different ways of communicating by playing and interacting.

When you mirror a child’s playful movement or sound is a way of showing a child that you are paying attention to them and value their expression.

Thinking about children’s unique play helps us to remain curious about how children see the world. It can help us work against any unconscious bias of our own or against any negative labels that others have placed upon them.

References

Further reading

Acknowledgements

Figure 2.3: Just climbing a tree by Max Alexander